Bunion protector and means thereon for holding the same in place



March 23, 194s. M B, GOLDBAUM 2,438,364

BUNION PROTECTOR AND MEANS THEREON FOR HOLDING THE SAME IN PLACE Filed Aug. 21, 1945 INVENTOR.'

Milton BGoZa/Zv'auwz Byfmeeymbn ATTORNEY,

Patented Mar. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUNION PROTECTOR AND MEANS THEREON FOR HOLDING THE SAME IN PLACE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a bunion protector and a means thereon for holding the same in place, and it consists in the novel features which are hereinafter more fully described. y

One of the objects of my invention is to produce as an article of manufacture a bunion protector with a means attached thereto for holding the protector in place on the foot of the patient at a required distance from the tip of the toe at said bunion, to prevent displacement of the protector in a direction lengthwise the foot of the patient.

Another object is to prevent the said vholding means from constricting the circulation of the blood in any part ci the foot of the patient.

A further object is to have the said holding means in the form of a cap of adjustable length for the toe of the patient whereby to hold the protector in any desired position lengthwise of the foot of the patient.

Another object is to have the said holding mean consist of a sleeve of knitted or woven material of excessive length connected at one end thereof to the protector and the other end thereof to extend beyond the tip of the toe of any patient, the said sleeve being adapted to have its excess length formed into a cap at the end of the toe by twisting and retroverting the sleeve over the end of the toe of the patient.

A still other object is to have the said protector and means thereon for holding the same in place adapted for mass production.

Another object is to have the said protector and means thereon for holding the same in place simple, durable and inexpensive.

A further object is to have the bunion protector of an improved construction as is hereinafter described. f

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

I attain these objects by the bunion protector and means thereon for holding the same in place which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings or by any mechanical equivalent or obvious modiiication of the same.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan View of the preferred initial commercial form of my bunion protector and means thereon for holding the same in place; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the device after the sleeve, which is hereinafter described, has been twisted in a vertical plane through an angle `of about 180 degrees; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the device after the sleeve as shown in Fig. 3 has been'turned in a horizontal plane through an angle of 180 degrees 2 and the end thereof which is adjacent to the bunion protector has been retroverted over the other end thereof after the latter has been drawn over the toe oi the patient at the bunion; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of an improved form of a bunion protector.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I I designates a bunion protector which is largely of standard design but has thereon extending therefrom a stub I2 which is shown as connected by means of stitches I3 to one side i4 of one end i5 of a sleeve Iii-l 6 of excessive length which may be made of any soft and elastic material such as knitted or woven fabric and the like.

The length of the sleeve I'--I may be greater than the possible distance from the bunion of any patient to the end of his toe, and the sleeve is to extend beyond the tip of the toe when the protector is in position.

The sleeve IES- I6 may be made in two sizes or widths, to fit the great or first toe and the small or fth toe; and with the bunion protector attached to it the sleeve may be sold to the general public, if desired.

To apply the device to a toe which has a bunion thereon or thereat the end IG of the sleeve I5-I5 as shown in Fig. 1 may rst be drawn on to the toe; the end I5 of the sleeve IE-IE may then be turned in a vertical plane through an angle of substantially degrees as shown in Fig. 3, or any other convenient angle, thereby forming a twist as at I'I, and retroverted over the end I6 of the sleeve I5-I 6 as shown in Fig. 4, with the bunion protector retaining its position with relation to the side I4 of the end I5 of the sleeve |5-I6, whereby the protector I I with the stub I2 thereon is inverted in position with relation to the bunion; the top side of the protector in Fig. 1 becomes the under side of the protector in Fig. 4.

The twist at I'I then forms a closed wall for the end I 6 of the sleeve I5-I6, thereby forming a cap for the end of the toe of the patient which cap IS-II is shown as shorter than the retroverted end I5 of the sleeve Iii-I6.

It is evi-dent that the length of the cap IB-I'I may be varied by varying the length of the end I6 of the sleeve I5-I6 which is drawn over the toe and by varying the position of the twist I1 on the sleeve I5-I5.

In Fig. 4 a clearance is shown between the outside oi the cap IS--II and the inside of the retroverted end I5 of the sleeve I5-I6, for the sake of clearness; but in practice no such clearance is necessary.

The cape I B-I'I may be unmade, if desired, and remade to tighten the Vpart of the sleeve between the toe and the protector, thereby adjusting the length of the said part, when necessary.

Instead of a sleeve a length of flexible material other than a sleeve may be employed.

The end of the sleeve I-I 6 may be formed into a cap for the toe otherwise than as shown and hereinbefore described, if desired ;V but I prefer the construction as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and described.

As a variation of my device the twist I'I may be omitted and the retroverted sleeve I 5.-I 6 haveits end (on the left in Fig. 4) sealed or closed by means of a strip of adhesive tape or by stitching, if desired.

The formation of the cap on the end of the toe of the patient and the twisting and retroversion of the sleeve or other piece of material serve to keep the protector in a desired position on the bunion.

Standard bunion protectors are made of two thicknesses or plies of chamois I8 and I9 with pads 2?! and 2i therebetween; the ply I8 has therein an opening 22;V the plies I8 and I9 are stitched together at their outer edges as at 3 and around the opening 22 as at 2li` and also around the convex side of the pad 2li as at 25; the stitching at 25 is too close. to the pad 20 to permit any lateral adjustment of the position of the latter.

Inthe variation of the bunion Vprotector which is shown in Fig. 5, the stitching at 25a, around the convex side of the pad 20 is far enough from the latter to permit lateral adjustment of the pad 2i), if desired.

Elevations on the outer sides of the plies I8 and I 9. whiohare produced by the pressure of the pads 23 and 2| therebetween are shown at 23 and 2l respectively in Figs. '1 and 3 and at Eil in Fig. 4.

Other variations are possible and parts of my invention may be used without other parts; I do not, therefore, restrict myself to the details as shown Yin the drawings.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As anarticle of manufacture a bunion protector and a tubular member of soft elastic materia1 of relatively excessive length open at the outer end thereof, and connected at the inner end thereof to the protector, said Vmember being adapted to enclose the toe of the patient, the length of Vsaid member being greater than the possible distance from the bunion of any patient to the end of his toe, and the outer end of the said member being adapted, when the said protector is in position, to extend beyond the tip o1" the toe and to be twisted and retroverted over the end of the toe, whereby to keep the protector from being displaced longitudinally on the foot of the patient.

2. The combination of a bunion protector and a means thereon for holding the same in position, said means comprising a tubular member of softy elastic material of relatively excessive length enclosing the toe of the patient and connected at one end thereof to the protector, said member terminating at the other end thereof in a twisted and retroverted cover for the end of the tce of the patient formed of the excess length of the said member and placed on the end of the toe of the patient at a desired distance from the protector, thereby serving as a means of adjusting the length of said member, whereby to keep the said protector in a desiredY position.

MILTON B. GOLDBAUM.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of Vrecord inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,055,810 Scholl Mar. 11, 1913 1,497,151 Malkin June 10, 1924 1,746,865 Page Feb. 11,1930 2,190,016 Day Feb. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 232,835 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1925 

